Investigation-Budget and FinanceCA ‘Jobs Gap’ Jumps to Record HighMonday, August 29th, 2011 AUG. 29, 2011 By JOHN SEILER California's "Jobs Gap" with the rest of America jumped to a record high, according to new calculations. In 2010, I devised the "Jobs Gap" to measure how much worse unemployment is in California that the rest of America. The Jobs Gap is calculated by subtracting... Market Crash Slams State Pension FundsTuesday, August 9th, 2011 AUGUST 9, 2011 By JOHN SEILER So much for record gains in California state and local pension funds. The stock market crash of the past week worsened the funds' crisis, putting taxpayers further on the hook for funds guaranteed by law. Less than two months ago, CalPERS boasted that its fund... Redevelopment is Prop. 13 in ReverseTuesday, June 28th, 2011 JUNE 28, 2011 by WAYNE LUSVARDI To California redevelopment advocates, the policy brings the Midas touch to cities, turning everything into gold for the Golden State. Redevelopment fans point to all the beautiful new malls, restored Old Town business districts, industrial parks and mixed-use ... Prop. 13 Split Roll Would Be RipoffMonday, June 20th, 2011 JUNE 20, 2011 By WAYNE LUSVARDI and CHARLES B. WARREN Democrats in the California Legislature want to repeal the property tax reassessment protections of Proposition 13 for commercial properties under the dubious notion that there is a pot of California 49er gold at the end of the rainbow. Pro... Budget Tax Rhetoric Ignores JobsMonday, June 13th, 2011 JUNE 13, 2011 By JOHN SEILER The NBA season is over. But a full-court press is on by Gov. Jerry Brown and the tax-increase forces in the Legislature and government-employee unions to increase taxes $9 billion. In his video address Sunday, Brown talked about the state's budget problems, includi... Court Decision Could Spur Prison ReformMonday, May 23rd, 2011 MAY 23, 2011 By JOHN SEILER Today's U.S. Supreme Court decision mandating California state prison reductions must lead to long-needed reforms. The decision upheld a lower court ruling that from 38,000 to 46,000 must be released due to overcrowding that violated the Eight Amendment's ban on "cr... May Revise Blows $6.6 B Tax WindfallMonday, May 16th, 2011 MAY 16, 2011 By JOHN SEILER Call it Government Math. In his January budget proposal for fiscal 2011-12, Gov. Jerry Brown insisted on $12 billion in yearly tax increases to help close a $25 billion budget deficit. Today, in his May Revise to the budget, he announced that the state will enjoy $6... Inflation Means California DefaultFriday, April 29th, 2011 APRIL 29, 2011 By WAYNE LUSVARDI A March 24 Los Angeles Times-USC opinion poll indicated that 80 percent of likely California voters favored putting a cap on state spending. That is a remarkable statistic that didn’t make the original headline in the Times about the results of the poll. ... Adachi Pushes New S.F. Pension ReformMonday, March 28th, 2011 MARCH 28, 2011 By DAVE ROBERTS Jeff Adachi, San Francisco's elected public defender, is a modern-day Don Quixote tilting at unionized windmills while singing "To Dream the Impossible Pension Reform Dream." The self-described progressive dared to take on that city's powerful unions last year wi... Silicon Valley Flunks 6 ‘Killer App’ TestsMonday, March 14th, 2011 MARCH 14, 2011 BY WAYNE LUSVARDI Last month with Silicon Valley elites, President Obama raised a glass of wine to toast the area's success. He was repairing his self-damaged image with big business. But a symbolic Sword of Damocles hovered over the meeting. Apple Computer employs 30,000 ... |